Best Jeep Wrangler Mods

1. Editors Choice - Xprite Aluminum Hood Latches

Have you ever noticed how your Wrangler’s hood is prone to “fluttering” above a certain speed? It’s no cause for panic; the truth is just that the factory Wrangler hood latches do a less-than-perfect job at keeping the hood adequately set in place. Watching the hood dance around at speed can be disconcerting (and distracting), which is the reason we chose this as our favorite in our list of Jeep Wrangler mods. This great-looking hood latch kit from Xprite kills hood flutter dead and enhances your JL’s appearance in the process, with a black textured finish that’s made to match the factory door handles and side mirrors, but also has a retro style American flag for a little bit of flash and patriotism. If you’re a new Jeep owner or purchasing it for one, it’s a great starting point for the never ending list of Jeep Wrangler mods.

2. Best Basic Lift Kit Option - Mopar 2” Suspension Lift Kit with Fox Series Shocks

When it comes to top Jeep mods, you’d be hard pressed to find one more popular than a good lift kit. Not only does the addition of a suspension lift increase your Jeeps off-roadability with increased ground clearance, tire clearance and approach angles, but they just help make a cool off-road rig even cooler. The favorite among our staff of off-road enthusiasts is this 2” Mopar kit. Two inches of lift is plenty, especially if you still intend to keep using your JL Wrangler on the road, and being an FCA brand, Mopar has certain standards of quality and compatibility that the other guys just can’t match. The kit comes with everything you need, including taller springs, longer control arms, and a set of aluminum-bodied Fox shocks tuned to deliver superb off-road traction, making it one of the best Jeep Wrangler upgrades on this list.

3. Best All Around Tire - Goodyear Wrangler MT/R Kevlar Mud Tire

If you’re serious about off-roading, a good set of mud or rock-crawling tires could be one of the best Jeep Wrangler upgrades you can make. The Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar fits the bill, featuring Kevlar-reinforced sidewalls with superior puncture and load resistance, and a plethora of staggered biting edges with big void areas, helping the tire to grip in the mud and over rocks without clogging. The tire’s anti-clogging abilities are further aided by special stone-ejecting ribs that keep the tread clear of rocks. Best of all, this tire isn’t completely unusable on the road, with predictable grip from the Kevlar-reinforced sidewalls that help prevent excessive sidewall flex. All these reasons, and the obvious name of the tire,  are just a few reasons why we selected it as one of the top Jeep Wrangler upgrades you can make.

4. Best Winch Option: Smittybilt X2O-10 Comp Gen2 Recovery Winch

Whether you’re going it alone or off-roading as part of a group, a quality winch is an essential jeep mod to help get your Wrangler unstuck from time to time. For its winning mix of features at a desirable price, we recommend the Smittybilt X2O-10 Comp Gen2 recovery winch. It’s rated at up to 10,000 pounds, which should be more than enough overhead for most sticky off-road situations, and its 98.5 feet of winching rope is synthetic for strength, lightness, and safety. This 6.6-horsepower Smittybilt unit is highly rated and waterproof, so it should provide years of reliable, problem-free use.

5. Best Winch Mount Bumper: Smittybilt SRC Gen2 Front Bumper

Mounting a winch is a cinch when you’ve got the right aftermarket bumper, and the Smittybilt SRC Gen2 front bumper might just be the one. There’s plenty to love about this cold-rolled steel unit, from its durable black powdercoat finish to its mounting provisions for D-rings, lights, and a winch. This is a full-width bumper, meaning the corners extend out to meet the factory fender lines for maximum protection, and an integrated bull bar keeps the radiator and other powertrain components safe from rocks, trees, and the like. Best of all, the bottom and sides are reinforced with replaceable thermoplastic slip strips, giving you an extra 5/16″ of protection where it’s most essential making these bumpers one of the best Jeep upgrades you can make.

6. Best Stock Lighting Upgrade: Beamtech H13 LED Headlight Bulb

Depending on which trim your JL Wrangler is, you may have old-fashioned Halogen bulbs serving as your low- and high-beams. That means you’re driving around with outdated tech – a lingering remnant from the “dark” ages. Thankfully, upgrading to a pair of modern high-output LEDs can be as simple as swapping out the bulbs. This H13 LED bulb conversion kit from Beamtech is highly rated, easy to install, and certified IP65 dust- and water-resistant for reliable operation even in trying conditions. The bulbs typically are plug-and-play in most situations, but if you do need help troubleshooting, commenters have praised this seller for their responsiveness. It’s because of the performance and customer service reputation of the company we have no issues recommending these LED headlight bulbs as a top Jeep mod for your Wrangler.

7. Best LED Lightbar Option: Rough Country 50” Dual Row Cree LED Light Bar Kit

As the bulb style of choice for auxiliary off-road lighting, this Rough Country 50” LED light bar kit is one of our absolute favorite Jeep Wrangler mods for the money. It features a waterproof die-cast aluminum housing for excellent defense against the elements, and boasts “more LEDs per square-inch than any other light bar,” according to the manufacturer, with a total 43,200 lumens of well-aimed off-road illumination. Off-road, being able to spot potential hazards is key. You’ll thank yourself for investing in a good light bar kit the moment you first find yourself on a dimly lit trail after you install this essential Jeep mod.

8. Jeep Rock Sliders:

One of the best Jeep Wrangler upgrades that you can make is to install a set of high quality rock sliders AKA rock rails. Not only do these add a little style to the look of your Jeep Wrangler, but they are doubly functional as an additional step for getting into your rig, and to protect your rocker panels from the occasional boulder that jumps out of nowhere trying to bash in your body. There are a wide variety readily available from different manufactures and in different styles and designs, so if you look for them and don’t see what you like, you’ve probably not looked hard enough.

9. Best Bikini Top: Sunshade Bikini Top Soft Top Mesh Shade Cover

There’s quite like driving with the top down/off and feeling the wind blowing all around. Unless you’ve got a good a good bikini top installed, the sun is going to roast you like a thanksgiving turkey. This Sunshade Bikini Top Soft Top Mesh Shade is assembled with 3 layers of durable vinyl mesh coated polyester, that provides 98% protection from direct sunlight and the suns harmful rays. Another part on this list that doesn’t provide any kind of performance gain, it still is one of our favorite Jeep Wrangler mods for the comfort that it provides on and off the trail.

What of these mods do you consider most critical?

If you’re more about looks and your Wrangler off-road excursions keep you on maintained fire roads, we’d say that upgraded lighting would be your top jeep wrangler mods. If you prefer to do more exploring and take trails that provide a challenge, we’d have to rank a winch as your best Jeep Wrangler mod.

I see the 2″ lift on this list, but what if I need a bigger lift?

We listed that particular lift because it is a Mopar factory performance part. This means that being a factory component, you’ll likely not void your warranty. Also this kit provides a good amount of lift, allowing Jeep Wrangler owners the opportunity to run a good size tire. Of course if you need more, there are plenty of other aftermarket options that you can look into.

Additional Resources

• Best Jeep Wrangler Tires For Every Terrain
• Best Jeep Wrangler LED Headlights
• Best Jeep Wrangler Radio Options

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Updated 7/20/2021: Updated product descriptions, added two new products (rock rails and rock sliders and sun shade bikini top), updated product links and added additional resources.

Updated 05/13/2021: Added a new promoted product recommendation.

Updated 04/09/2021: Updated product descriptions, ranked products and added FAQ.